Whether you are considering a pet care franchise, a hair salon franchise or a location in a fast-food chain, the most important thing you can do before choosing a franchise is research. This doesn’t mean just looking at the franchisor’s web site. It means coming up with a list of questions you would like to ask the franchisor and current franchise owners. I’ve chosen a child care franchise because these are some of the most popular enterprises in franchising today. Below are some of the FAQ for buying a child day care franchise.

Starting with the franchisor, Entrepreneur magazine has put together a few key questions that were recommended by the CEO of FranChoice, Jeff Elgin. They are:

What is your #1 focus? Here you will want to hear them say “the success of our franchises.” If they say something about their bottom line, you may want to look elsewhere.

Next, ask them why franchisees get into trouble, or don’t succeed. Here you will want to learn exactly why a franchisee would have problems, or what is most difficult about following their “system.”

Finally, find out how they resolve conflicts, and ask for examples of recent conflicts that have occurred between them and one of their franchise owners. Be skeptical if they say there have been no disputes.

An FAQ for buying a child day care franchise might also include a request for details on recent disputes between one of their franchise owners and a client. Plus, you should ask about specific franchise owners who have closed or had trouble, and why. But when it comes to a day care franchise, the most important thing to learn about is their reputation among competitors.

Speaking directly with some of their current franchise owners is another way to uncover potential difficulties, but be sure you are able to hand-pick the franchise owners yourself. This way you will speak with more than just the most satisfied franchisees in the chain.

Once you have assembled a list of FAQ for buying a child day care franchise, you are ready to start searching for business opportunities online. Sites like EFranchiseSale.com can direct you to child day care locations available in your area.